There was something about 45's that Eddie really enjoyed. When CD's began to replace vinyl, Eddie was very upset. The tradition of a warm sounding record was extinct in a matter of a few years. Even today, he and fellow band members have nothing but positive comments to make about vinyl. To prove their sincerity, they've even released a single on vinyl before it was released on CD.
The primary influences on Eddie's songwriting were the bands he listened to growing up, as well as his every day life experiences growing up in Chicago and San Diego. He was also inspired by certain literature and poetry. Most notable was a book of poetry called 'Poems of William Wordsworth". It was a small 255 page poetry book bound by hand in English leather. It was published by Geoffrey Parker at Wimbish Village near Saffron Walden Essex, England in 1969. Eddie received the book at a fairly young age and read it to inspire his creative process of lyric writing.. He once showed the book to me and explained that the passages he has read from the book when he was younger is directly responsible for the inspiration in writing many of his poetic lyrics of today. It contains scores of very moving poems. Taking a closer look at the contents of this influential book reveals many parallels with the themes that has surfaced in many of Eddie's songs with a negative depressing twist. In particular, the poem regarding immortality. The following consists of the table of contents of this book.

Poems of William Woodsworth
Including passages from the Prelude and poems from Lyrical Ballads

THE FORMATIVE YEARS: a note .....................................6
ILLUSTRATIONS: a list.......................................................8
from AN EVENING WALK.................................................9
from THE PRELUDE..........................................................13
from LYRICAL BALLADS................................................61
POEMS, published after 1800...........................................115
including
THE WAGONER.............................................................123
SONNETS.......................................................................185
MORE POEMS............................................................... 214
THE ODE (INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY)..........239
INDEX OF TITLES AND FIRST LINES.........................251